Michelin Green Star chef Benoit Witz

Every morning, nearby producers – most within 50 kilometres – arrive at the kitchen door with the best of what’s growing: early spring asparagus, heritage tomatoes, courgette blossoms, local honey, herbs cut just hours earlier. What doesn’t come from partner farms is often picked on-site from the estate’s own wild and intentionally un-manicured gardens, where fruit trees, wildflowers and vegetables grow without chemicals or design.

“It’s about intuition,” Witz explains. “My training is from life, not from a manual. My grandmother taught me to cook what’s in front of you, with care and rhythm. That’s still how I cook today.” Born and raised in modest circumstances in southern France, Witz’s culinary origins are not found in prestigious schools or Michelin kitchens, but in his grandmother’s home, shelling peas and tasting broths made from nothing but time and instinct. That memory – of food as comfort, as presence – still anchors his approach.

There’s a reason Le Jardin Secret earned the Michelin Green Star, a distinction reserved for restaurants showing outstanding commitment to sustainable gastronomy. But Witz is quick to wave away the label. “It’s not a badge – it’s a responsibility,” he says. “If you truly respect nature, you don’t overcomplicate what it gives you.” That respect is evident in every plate: dishes are cooked à la minute, not just for flavour, but to preserve nutrients and freshness.

Nothing is prepared in advance – not because it’s trendy, but because Witz believes food loses its integrity when rushed or pre-made. “The longer food sits, the more it forgets what it was,” he says. “We serve it when it’s still alive.”

The kitchen avoids waste, designs menus based on surplus, and reuses ingredients with intent. Every plate tells a story of place: olive oil pressed a few villages over, saffron grown nearby, edible flowers from the path behind the kitchen. Even the breads and butters are developed around the seasons.

Dining at Le Jardin Secret is a different experience by design. The restaurant, which sits in the former residence on the estate, hasn’t been remodelled into a sleek showroom. Instead, it’s made to feel like a Provençal home. Guests eat in small rooms, where the walls still carry the character of the past, and the setting is warm, quiet, and personal. There are no white gloves. No formalities. Just a focus on food, place, and presence. “Luxury isn’t about what you add – it’s about what you choose to leave out,” Witz says. “Silence can be luxurious. So can simplicity. So can time.”

This ethos fits perfectly into Lou Calen’s wider identity as a sustainable retreat with no televisions in rooms, an on-site microbrewery and pastis bar, and a regular roster of hands-on workshops (think basket weaving, wood carving, and botanical walks). The whole estate is designed to slow guests down, reconnect them to nature, and let them rediscover joy in simplicity.

Far from building an empire, Witz is focused on writing a book that documents his philosophy of food as storytelling and stillness. He’s also developing seasonal tasting experiences at Lou Calen- still menu-less, but themed around a single ingredient presented in multiple textures and forms. Above all, he hopes to continue cooking in a way that feels honest. “I’m not here to impress,” he says. “I’m here to nourish. Not just the body – but memory, feeling, connection. That’s the kind of luxury we don’t talk about enough.” And in a culinary world that too often celebrates excess, Le Jardin Secret offers something rare: the kind of meal you don’t just remember for its flavour, but for how it made you feel.

• 12 rice papers
• 6 zucchini flowers
• A few edible country flowers
• 3 green zucchini
• 3 courgettes de Nice
• 4 green celery stalks
• 1 bunch of spring onions
• 1 bunch of basil
• 1 sprig of mint
• 120g fresh goat cheese
• 1 small garlic clove
• 1 fresh tomato
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper

1. Finely cut the zucchini, spring onions, garlic, and celery into julienne strips. Fry briskly in olive oil with salt and pepper. Add the basil leaves at the end.
2. Mash the goat cheese with a fork and stir it into the vegetables.
3. Quickly dip 2 rice papers in water, then place half of a zucchini flower, some country flowers, and mint leaves on top. Add the vegetable and cheese mixture, then roll into spring rolls.
4. Grate the raw tomato to make a vinaigrette, season well, and serve 2 rolls with the dressing.
5. Garnish with basil leaves, add a drizzle of olive oil, and finish with a pinch of fleur de sel and pepper.